If you have been to Mumbai, you would agree that the Hindi spoken by Mumbaikars is way different than the Hindi that is spoken in Delhi, or say, in any other part of our country. But if you come from a state where Hindi is the first language then you ought to brace yourself for the cultural shock. And that is what this viral tweet is all about.
The tweet, shared by a user named PratPanc, has ignited a furious debate on Twitter. The woman tweeted, “Never engage with Bombay people in Hindi. You could be complete strangers and they’ll still feel free to address you with a ‘Tu’. Unacceptable behaviour.” Her tweet has been viewed over 734K times. The tweet has received over 380 likes and more than 700 retweets.
In many North Indian states, “aap” is used as a sign of respect, and “tu” or “tum” is used for people who are in the same age bracket. Similarly, Bengalis use “aapni” for elders and “tumi” or “tui” for peers. But the Hindi that is spoken in Mumbai is interlaced with tons of Marathi words and that is what makes the Hindi spoken there slightly different from the rest.
While some people agreed with the woman and understood where her thoughts are coming from, others shared how it is not a sign of disrespect but a linguistic difference. Here’s what people had to say about it.
Every city has its own culture and unique dialect and that is what makes our country so diverse.